Before 2006 officially ends, several New York publications are posting their year-end "Top 10" or "Best of" lists. Among the front-runners are the Off-Broadway-to-Broadway musical transfers of Grey Gardens and Spring Awakening.

Jonathan Groff in Spring Awakening.

Among other popular titles that land on the lists — some in numerical order, others opt for the more diplomatic alphabetical — include The History Boys, Shining City, Company, Stuff Happens, The Lieutenant of Inishmore and [title of show].

Two theatre columnists mentioned the omission of The Coast of Utopia from their lists (as portions of the trilogy are yet to be seen on the New York stage), while others merited the individual works.

With the good, come the bad and the ugly, so many listmakers included the worst shows of the year along with their top choices. Among those (dis)honored more than once are The Times They Are A-Changin', Lestat and The Threepenny Opera revival.

Here's a running list of 2006's top theatrical contenders: (updated as more lists are published)

New York Magazine's Jeremy McCarter: 10. The Four-Way Speech in Young Jean Lee's Songs of the Dragons Flying to Heaven 9. Bill T. Jones's Choreography in Spring Awakening 8. The Coast of Utopia 7. The Nightmare Scene in Will Power's The Seven 6. The Wild Duck at BAM 5. "Immigration Restrictions Proved to Be a Bad Idea" (Canadian Bob Martin in The Drowsy Chaperone and Irish Brían F. O'Byrne in Shining City) 4. John Doyle's Revival of Company 3. "Actor-Playwrights Got Over Themselves" (non-biographical solo shows: Sarah Jones' Bridge & Tunnel, Nilaja Sun's No Child and Daniel Beaty's Emergence-See!) 2. Christine Ebersole in Grey Gardens 1. The Lieutenant of Inishmore

The New York Sun's Eric Grode: 1. The Thugs 2. Bridge and Tunnel 3. Spring Awakening 4. Waiting for Godot (Dublin's Gate Theatre and Classical Theatre of Harlem) 5. The History Boys 6. Billy The Mime 7. The Drowsy Chaperone 8. Indian Blood 9. The Pain and the Itch 10. [title of show]